Effective July 1, clerks of court will no longer review civil filings to screen out confidential information before putting those documents in public court files, leaving it entirely up to lawyers to ensure their clients’ protected information remains safe.

The Supreme Court on January 21, acting on its own motion, amended Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420, which governs access to court records, to end the independent duty of clerks — separate from filing attorneys — to review civil and small claims filings, and identify and remove sensitive personal information that is protected under the rule.

The rule, adopted originally in 2010, mandates that “[t]he clerk’s responsibility under the [rule] is independent of the responsibility of the filer.”